Frozen Over
by Krackaroo21
Summary: (Archie Comic Series issue 22) What if Roll exaggerated her words to get Rock and Tempo to "hook up"? What if she told two different stories to both of them? Later when excavating in an ice mine, Rock and Tempo suffer through extreme miscommunication. I only own this work, not the franchise.


**Hello! How are you?** **Here's this small idea I had while reading issue 22 in the archie comic series. (The comic all about robots and romantic relationships). (You should totally read it if you haven't). I don't ship them, but I thought this was cute. Tell me what you think of them!** **Enjoy!**

 **\--E--**

Going to help the Robot Masters was always a highlight of Mega Man's week. It was fun to smash boulders with Guts Man, plant trees with Cut Man, and roast glass art with Fire Man. It was always a nice break from gardening and cooking. But this week, with Quake Woman and Roll tagging along, it was with Ice Man and his glacier research.

Ice Man checked off squares on his clipboard, looking up to Mega Man and Quake Woman,

"Okay, I need Megs to go drill in area B... and Quake Woman to drill in area D. Then, after awhile, both of you to area E. There are newly discovered carbon samples in that shaft that you just need to carve out. It shouldn't take too long. I'll come to collect the samples later."

"Got it!" Mega said after copying Quake Woman's power. Shifting color, two large drills replaced his hands. "I'll see ya in area E then."

"See you later, Rock."

Watching the two robots walk off, Roll put a puzzle together in her head. A puzzle of star-crossed love. It fit together flawlessly.

She snapped her fingers, "Ice Man!"

"Y-yes?" Ice snapped up to her.

"I just had a great idea!"

"Yes? Yes?!"

"We should totally hook up--."

"Yes!"

"--Rock and Tempo!"

"I knew it! You just made me the happiest...!"

Ice Man felt the whole earth shatter with a single touch. The glass shards cut off his smile. "Oh."

"They'd be so cute together! And it's Valentine's Day! It's perfect! --Eee, it's so romantic!"

Ice picked himself up from being shot down. "How're you gonna do that?"

"Simple, the best way most romantic setups go." Roll said and pointed towards the future lovers. "Miscommunication!"

 **\--E--**

In a small ice shaft, Mega Man drilled into a wall of green ice. Drills screeching. He saw the arctic ocean through the ice, bubbles scaring away the silverfish. Salt and ice flew off like sparks as his drill shaved off more ice.

"Rock," Ice Man said from the entrance, "I need you and Quake Woman to excavate area E's shaft about now. It's been two hours."

"Okay, lemme finish..." He said and ripped the drill out from the wall. Ocean spat at him and drooled down the shaft.

"Hm," Ice frowned at the leak, "lovely."

"Sorry."

"Doesn't matter. I honestly don't care."

Mega took a better look at Ice's flat eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Dandy."

"Ice, c'mon, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he sighed and made limp marks on his clipboard. "I guess I just have to _roll_ with it."

"What?"

"Crud, now I'm sounding like Cut Man."

"What?"

"Nothing!" He nudged Mega's shoulder toward the shaft's exit. "Just go meet Quake Woman at area E. There's a lot of drilling to do... Be careful by the way. Don't fall down any tunnels and don't let anything distract you."

"Okay, thanks!" Mega started off. "We'll get it done before sundown."

"Great," Ice stretched his mouth awkwardly, "thanks."

The walk to area E wasn't shy of a hike. It took awhile to trudge to the other side of the research map, getting through the thick snow and not slipping on the random ice patches. The wind blew sharp frost flakes onto his face. But luckily, for the sake of him freezing alone, Roll found him and walked with him.

"So," He said during the walk, "how's carbon dating going?"

Playing with her hair, Roll giggled like he told a joke. "It's going fine, but I'd rather be drilling..."

"Maybe we can switch jobs later. I wouldn't mind to date carbon samples too."

A few minutes later, she couldn't hide her giggles any longer, hide her ultimate plot. "Speaking of dating..."

"Hm?"

"When are you gonna ask Tempo out?"

These words made the arctic air heavy, freezing and thousands of pounds.

Mega Man turned to her with a queer look. "What?"

"Is it gonna be a date by the ocean or in the park? Personally, I think it should be at the carnival or something," her smile widened as he stared. "When's the next robot expo again?"

"What are you talking about? We're just friends."

"Really?"

Frustrated, he looked at her seriously. "Yes."

"You sure 'bout that?"

"Yes! There is nothing like that between us!" He pouted, footsteps getting faster and heavier as she giggled. He sped-walked away with a tight jaw. "You get the dumbest ideas sometimes."

"What's wrong with it? You two would be so cute!" She ran after him. "Besides, it'd help her and her new emotions for you!"

He stopped dead.

"That's where I got the idea from, brother," she explained. "She told me all about it... When she got her chips back, she's been experiencing new things every day like happy and sad and mad, y'know? And when she saw you help me with the sinking cruise ship disaster," Roll draped herself on Mega's side, arm to forehead, "she fell head over heels for you!"

He didn't believe a word of it, not after the time she tried to set up Elec Man with Splash Woman. The whole ordeal had become a nasty brawl between Guts Man and Concrete Man. But, he thought, why were his cheeks burning up?

"I mean, she technically could feel those emotions," he said, "but no way..."

Smiling, Roll pressed on, knowing she had him nibbling her story. "Then how come she won't stop ranting to me about it? 'Oh, his hair looks so soft!' 'Oh, do you think he likes geology too?' 'Oh, do you think he wears cologne?' 'Oh, when can I see my beloved again?!'. She's honestly gotten crazy for you! It's almost scary obsessive but also cute!"

His face didn't feel cold anymore. "...I-I don't believe it!"

"You can ask her yourself, y'know," she rolled her eyes. "Now, she also told me how she planned to ask you out after this whole carbon sample thing. So head's up, okay? She's new to love so it could hurt her very badly if you said no."

He couldn't swallow any of it. "B-but we're just friends!"

"And be a good friend and make her the happiest robot in the world!"

"B-b-but..."

"Also, don't be surprised if she's all shy and cute... then want to give you a big kiss later!" Roll smiled. "This love emotion can make anyone up and down... and maybe get a little frisky. She may just kiss you when you least expect it!"

"Wh-wh-what?!"

She ran away laughing.

 **\--E--**

Quake Woman stretched her arms to break the ice on her shoulder. After drilling at area D, her armor almost froze together. It was nice, she thought, for Roll to boil hot water for her outside the research facility. It should help her warm up from the inside out.

"So, how's drilling?" Roll grinned and slid a cup of piping water across a small, portable table. The scientists sometimes ate their lunches outside so there were tables set up, a lot like how a cafe looked.

"Well, it's definitely better with my chips back," she said, smiling down at the steaming water. "I've been recovering well, I think. Although earlier frustration with Ice Man was a pain."

"Tell me about it! That's me whenever Rock tracks mud in after gardening," she said, leaning over the table with a glint in her eye. "Speaking of Rock..."

"Yes, how has he been?"

"Fine, but he wanted me to ask ya something..."

"Yes?" Quake sipped the water. It streamed down her frozen throat like pouring lava on dry ice. "What is it?"

Roll grinned. "What kind do you think? White diamond or aquamarine? Personally, I think an emerald would suit you best."

Quake gave a quirky look. "What this?"

"Maybe amethyst?"

"Why?"

"Amethyst is lovely with green."

"No, I mean why's he asking this?"

"Why," Roll batted her eyes, "for the engagement ring, of course!"

Choking on herself, Quake Woman sprayed hot water across the table. "What?!"

"What?"

"An engagement ring?!"

"So he hasn't really popped the question yet, huh?" Roll sighed, putting on a disappointed mask, "He told me he already did!"

Was this what shock felt like? Was this embarrassment?

Quake Woman shook her head. "But we're only friends. He hasn't said anything to me about a relationship or let alone anything about a ring."

"My brother's deathly shy about it, but I wouldn't be surprised if he popped the question after you guys are done drilling. Y'see, he's been lovesick ever since he saw you help with the cruise ship people awhile back. He keeps going on and on and on about how strong, smart, and pretty you are! 'Oh, isn't she the loveliest 'bot ever constructed?'."

Quake covered her mouth. "Wh-why haven't I been told this?"

"Like I said, he's shy. You can try and ask him about it if you want though," Roll said. "But here's why I'm also so excited... since I'm the supportive sister, I'm helping him with the ring, the proposal setting, and the wedding! He told me his plans for today... the proposal under the northern lights will be so romantic!"

She didn't drink any more water or looked at Roll any longer. Her insides slithered and constricted around her body like she swallowed a search snake. Was this nervousness? Was the pressure on her chest, the heat in her cheeks, the jitters in her hands, nervousness? Feeling it again was like bleeding an old cut.

"I-I can't possibly..."

"Oh c'mon, you'll be so happy! It'll help you experience love!"

"T-true? But I can't... You know I can't marry now, let alone be in a..."

"Ah, but I'm sure you'll at least hook up with him until then, right? You can always tell him to wait 'til next month and date him in the meantime. It'll be the right medicine for your emotions."

It wasn't Rock that made her sick, she told herself. He was a nice boy. It was just the very thought of marriage at this time, this very moment, that pricked her. Let alone him as a boyfriend she had seen in romance movies. Did Doctor Light and Doctor Lalinde approve of this?

"Not meaning to rush you," Roll said brightly, "but he's already at area E, and you guys got drilling to do!"

"I guess that's right," she shook. "But what do I do if he asks?"

"Whatever your heart tells you!"

"Seriously, please."

"Just tell him your true feelings," Roll gave her a quick hug and slipped a tube of strawberry chapstick in her pocket. "Whether they be romantic or a friend-zoning death punch! Now go! You got drilling and love to take care of!"

 **\--E--**

Inside the facility, Ice Man crossed his arms as Quake Woman trudged towards area E. "D'you really think this'll work? I mean, really?"

"Absolutely!" Roll bounced on her heels, warming herself by a fireplace. "I know them both. They'll be too shy and cute to really say anything, but then they'll talk and figure out it's not true."

"Isn't that what you want to avoid?"

"In this case, no. I need them to realize it's mostly wrong as soon as possible. How can something like a marriage or a kiss go quiet? But then," she clasped her hands together and blushed, "the feelings for each other will soon bloom with the idea of a closer relationship, you see. They'll realize they don't want to be just friends when they could be much more. Then, Ice Man, they'll kiss and have me plan their wedding after all!"

She squealed and imploded with a crazed bliss.

"Roll," he said cautiously, "are you honestly feeling okay?"

"I'm just amazing!"

"It won't work, y'know. They'll get so mad at you. Like, out for vengeance type of mad. Or at least I certainly would."

"A price I'm willing to pay!" She said. "The ship will sail!"

 **\--E--**

The main tunnel in area E, just as Ice Man said, had small tunnels in the floor of the shaft. The two robots made sure to watch their step, watching themselves so they don't fall down into a snow pit, all the while avoiding each other's eye as they worked. It was tentious. They drilled without a word. It was as if a single look could turn both of them to stone.

Looking straight ahead, Mega Man dared himself for conversation. "S-so how's the mine in area D?"

She, panicking, said nothing.

"Me too," he said, blushing at the possible, love-tormented thoughts she could be thinking. "Nothing much but frozen aglae."

Silence and drilling.

"A-algae?" Her shaking voice finally found itself a minute later. "That's neat. I found a frozen fish skeleton."

Mega nodded his head like he was trying to swallow bad medicine. "That's cool."

"Yeah."

The mine, out of nowhere, hopped up and down and groaned. A small shake. Ice Man had mentioned this to them. Since they were on a large glacier, it was common for the ice to shift and move like an earthquake. It would come and go, he said. Don't let it distract you, he said. Focus on work and don't fall into a tunnel, he said.

"Huh," Mega said after it passed, "I'll never get used to that."

Quake agreed and broke the silence by drilling again. The hiss of metal on ice. He did the same, turning away to work, but with a burning paranoia. It was the feeling that she could be looking at him, staring and plotting how to kiss him, that was worse than parkouring over a field of spikes. How was he to work?

Time passed. It was impossible to live through it. Weren't they friends? Couldn't they go back to that?

Silence and drilling.

"I-I'm just going to say it out loud," he swallowed, turning to her. "I think I should propose a solution to this..."

To his surprise, she swirled her neck toward him. Painted horror on her face. "Pr-propose?! Now?!"

Mega took a step forward, which she repelled the other way. "I mean I think we need to talk about something Roll and I talked about earlier..."

"N-no, I'm not ready for it yet!" Quake blushed. "I need time to think!"

He didn't understand, but his mind saif it had to do with her complicated emotions. He gave her time.

They got back to work, except the air was beyond flammable, like a simple match, a spark, a glance could blow up the mine. Mega, drilling as far away from her as he could, chewed his lip. What was she thinking? Please be thinking about being friends again, he hoped, but his inner Roll predicted how Quake was going to kiss him. A dirtier part of Roll said against the ice wall, like in that movie he saw. His cheeks exploded.

The shaft jumped and groaned again as time passed.

The main tunnel expanded ten more feet, but it would've been twenty feet, Quake predicted, if Mega would've called off the proposal. The looming question pressed against her neck. The very thought of Mega Man as her future goom was abusing her emotion chips. What was she to do when the question came? What was she to do when she can't even think of marriage with a straight face? What, how, why, to say her answer? She didn't want to face it at all.

Just say it.

"Rock," she turned around, throat tightening like a knot. "I should just say it."

Nearly slipping into a small tunnel, Mega faced her. "Y-yes?"

"Um, since you and Roll were talking earlier, you probably want to ask me about the 'whole thing'."

"Yeah, we were talking a little about it earlier," Mega said, taking a step back as she took one forward. The way she blushed at him, the way she inched closer to him, only made Mega guess her thoughts, her plans, her undying love Roll described. "I don't quite know how to say it. I guess in a form of a question?"

Quake couldn't bear it, "Yes?"

"I guess, uh, if you'll let me," Mega couldn't bear it either. He just needed to ask why can't they be friends. "Will you...?"

Quake Woman buried her face in her hands. "I can't! I'm sorry! I can't say it so easily! I just haven't dealt with emotions like these before!"

"S-sorry!"

"No-no, it's fine. I just... It's just me... really, but," she approached him slowly, hesitantly, timidly, "tell me one thing."

He recoiled backward, like an antelope to a lion, finding the ice wall and his biggest fear against his back. Against the wall, he gulped. "Wh-what's that?"

She got closer. "Do you really...? I mean, Roll told me all about it, but do you really mean it? Was all the things she told me true, or was she just...?"

She was too close. He felt as if she was breathing down his neck, even if she was feet away. She could, Roll in his mind said, kiss you. Shut up, he told her. Turning red, he shuffled away, trying to scoot to the side and sort everything out without her being too close.

So desperately, he wanted to say, "I'm sorry, but I like you as a friend!" But his foot found a tunnel.

He fell halfway in. "Gah!"

The tunnel ate one of his legs while he struggled to get up. He felt the other slipping down with it. He could fall down a hundred feet at any moment.

"Rock!" She gasped, trying to help him up. "Hold on!"

"I'm... I'm..."

The mine shook again and groaned.

Within a moment, a single blink, Mega Man's legs slipped. He dropped down a narrow, ice slide. Screaming was the only sound in the world. It lasted a short forever until he landed onto a snow pit. He squeaked when Quake Woman landed on his back shortly after. It would've broken his spine if he was human.

Everything stopped. The cold dusted their metal bodies.

In seconds, Mega panicked as she lied on his back, lying on his back while he was half buried in cotton snow. "T-Tempo!"

She got off in a quarter of a second. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

"...Mostly," he calmed himself quickly, sitting up in waist-high snow, "but I can already feel this snow freezing my joints."

If they didn't get out soon, they could freeze and go out of commission until someone found them. How long would that take? They both checked their signals. Nothing. No one knew where they were.

Quake Woman breathed. She breathed faster and faster. This was too similar to the hole she fell down, the same one where she lost herself, her personality, her life. Everything turned against her, not just the proposal.

"He-hey, don't panic!" Mega said. "We'll get out. We just need to drill a path up."

While developing a plan, both robots kept far away from each other. With such little room, one as vast as a clown car, the furthest they could be were inches apart. Uncomfortable, but facing something not as dangerous as a kiss or a question, they cracked a plan.

"I'll crawl up the tunnel with my drills," Mega explained, "while you climb up with the holes I make."

Breathing in anvils, she nodded. "Okay, let's try it."

The narrow tunnel was at an angle. Almost sixty degrees upward like a steep slide. It was glossy and impossible to climb without hiking gear, but manageable with large drills. Mega plowed into the ice, making ledges for him and Quake to climb up.

"This is working well!" He said. "And my joints aren't freezing up too badly either!"

"Yes, that is good," she said, following close behind. Her sharp breathing relaxed as they made the journey, the journey up and away from her underground torment. But what about the torment, their torment, when they reached the surface.

Time passed, more crawling, and Mega found the surface five feet away. "We're so close! Hang in there."

"That's good! I feel much better about this now."

"We're home free. Don't worry, we're..."

It would've been the end of it. The end of the tunnel and the beginning of the surface. But not a moment later, a moment of hope, the mine shook itself again. The drills glided out.

It happened too fast. It happened too fast for Quake Woman to understand what happened, to understand why the tunnel scraped her sides and why the air picked up her pigtails. A fall later, she was flat on her back, half-buried in the snow pit, then completely buried once Mega Man made earth-shattering contact.

The distance between their lips: zero inches.

With their heads fused together, it was a murdering kiss that made both of them squirm. But how can they pull apart when the snow nearly froze them together? Through a smooch, it took the rest of their strength, the rest of their unfrozen joints, to pull apart. To pull apart with a brutal "Smack!". All they did afterward was jump away, stare at each other, and cover their mouths. Cheeks grossly red.

For a painfully long time, the butterflies were stronger than either of them put together. Sorrys muttered and faces covered.

"I am so sorry..."

"I'm sorry."

"I really didn't mean to..."

"I'm sorry."

Mega wiped his mouth, embarrassed to realize she was wearing chapstick, and waited for his internal framing to leave his throat.

Silence.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry."

Silence.

The snow chilled them. Other than the butterflies, they could feel their metal wrap and tighten as frost collected on them. They weren't getting out now. Their frozen, energy-ridden drills can't save them.

Silence.

It wasn't until Quake Woman sniffed that Mega looked up from his numb arms. His frosty eyelids widened. "Tempo? A-are you crying?"

"I," she said with crystallized tears, "I'm just overwhelmed. I haven't had emotions for so long, and now to feel all of this and back underground is... is... like drowning. I can't deal with it after feeling nothing for so long! I can't be back underground! I can't... I can't..."

They froze in their icy spots as she sobbed.

"I can't deal with any of this... I just can't."

She pained him more than the creeping ice infiltrating his systems. "It must be hard. I'm so sorry."

Her lip quivered.

"But you're tough. You can get through it."

Quake didn't look at him. "But it's still hard."

"Of course," he looked down at himself, at his frosted armor. "I'm sorry for getting us into this mess. I wasn't paying attention. I was nervous."

She, through tears, laughed like a bad actress. "I would be too."

"I've noticed you've been nervous ever since I saw you in this mining shaft. Even though Roll told me, I could tell something like this 'whole thing'," he jerked a smile, "would get to you, especially for new emotions."

"I've been feeling terrible about it, honestly. It's been worse than frustration with Ice Man."

"Sorry, but you don't have to engage with something you don't need," Mega Man said, his back frozen against the snow pit's ice wall. "And frankly it's been bothering me too."

"Y-you're not disappointed?"

"No, are you?"

"No."

Through icy depression; peace. These were magical words.

Quake Woman beamed. "I'm so glad you understand! I was really worried you'd pop the question today," she wiped her eye. "That means we can put everything to rest for now, right? Maybe a while longer or forever?"

"Agreed!" He sighed like every problem was solved, every problem in the world, but he tried to digest her wording. "Pop the question...?"

They looked at each other, about to ask each other what they meant, but the mine shaft shook again. It rattled them and their rock-hard bodies. How will they get out?

Silence after the groaning.

"We'll just have to wait." Mega Man decided. "I'm sure Ice Man and Roll will see our signals are offline and come."

Quake Woman didn't swallow well. Her breathing spiked. "B-but what if they don't come? What if they won't find us? I can't be buried again..."

"You won't. Everything's okay, really. You won't be buried," using the last of his strength, using it for the little good he could do, he found and held her hand in the snow, holding it for her sake. "You won't be. We won't be."

For the rest of the time in the snow pit, with the snow mummifying their bodies, they were at rest. They were relieved to know the guns they held up to each other's heads were empty. There would be no proposing or any confessions. They were content and frozen over.

Ice Man and Roll found them an hour later.

 **\--E--**

 **Have a golly good Valentine's Day!** **(Tell me in the reviews if you ship Rock and Tempo! Or perhaps not... who is your favorite ship in the series?)**


End file.
